Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Wines of Italy Series: Goretti-Wine & Winetherapy

Fill'er up with Sagrantino!

The first thing I noticed when we arrived at the Goretti Winery were the wine pumps! Hard to miss the gas station
style pumps that locals use to fill up wine jugs and take home. With the price
of gas so high, maybe we should all convert our cars to run on premium grape juice.
Although with this wine you will need a locking gas cap to prevent people
from siphoning it out for the dinner table.

The wine shop had all the Goretti wines on display including
some super-super sized bottles of Sagrantino almost half my height, I’d never seen bottles this big before. I doubt I could lift one much less get it in my suitcase! But they certainly looked like a major party waiting to happen.

Also on display were a line of wine-based cosmetics that Sara Goretti developed with her sister. I took a closer look at
the label and realized it was the same as the products provided in my bathroom
at the Hotel Gio. I’d been amazed at the quality of the sample size hand creams
and loved the aroma that was evocative of harvest on a crush pad, yet softer,
almost a honeyed-sandalwood scent but lively and fresh.

After Sara explained each of their wine offerings, we
repaired to the tower where the Goretti family was on hand, including Nonna
Marcella, to pour some of the wines for us to pair with a wonderful array of Umbrian style
hors d'oeuvres, cheeses, salads, and some limited production olive oil served on crostini. I particularly loved the Torta al testo ( shown below top middle) and the Crostini di carne alla Perugina (shown middle row left and bottom right corner below) both based on Nonna Marcella's recipes.

I was already familiar with several of the Goretti reds including
Sagrantino di Montefalco and Rosso di Montefalco which are well distributed and
easy to find in the states. I was less familiar with the whites, and I favored the “Il Moggio” Grechetto a very aromatic and flavorful wine that paired best with the honey drizzled cheese.

New to me was the L'Arringatore a hearty red made from Sangiovese, Merlot and Ciliegiolo grapes and named after the famous bronze statue Aulo Metello. One sip of wine this and your arm may fly right up into a salute to the intense flavors and tannins. It happened to Melba. ( see below)

The vaulted ceiling of the room added to the atmosphere and
although the temperature was rather cold, it hardly mattered by the time the grappa was
served.

And what great grappas they were! Grappa di Sagrantino, Grappa di
Grecetto and dark yellow Grappa made from the marc of red grapes.

Afterwards we went back to the wine shop and I bought a jar of the SG winetherapy moisturizer. All I can say is if I’d know
how much I was going to like it I’ve have bought tank load. I’m not a super
girly-girl but I do appreciate a great skin care product. It’s been over a
month now since I’ve been using the winetherapy moisturizer and I do believe
Sara Goretti has come very close to packaging the fountain of youth in her
skincare products. Maybe that’s why all the women winemakers we met in Italy
looked so gorgeous, they are applying the secrets of the vine to their skincare
regime as well as in the bottle.

I know this sounds like some crazy infomercial, but it’s
true and no one paid me a dime to say this! I’ve been a fan of the French
Caudalie line of Vinotherapie products for years and firmly believe in the magic
of polyphenols in their grape derived products. The Goretti winetherapy products are made with the same substances found in grape leaves and grape
seeds.

If you can’t find the SG skincare line (hint look here) you can always drink Goretti
wine instead and become beautiful from the inside out. Or try some Goretti
Grappa and after a few shots I guarantee you will see a more youthful version
of yourself in the mirror. That is if you can still see.